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Resetting computer home page

gumbaby9

Posted 09 September 2005 - 01:25 PM

gumbaby9

Member

Member

50 posts

Everytime I load internet explorer it resets the homepage from yahoo.com to C:\WINDOWS\system32\msblank.html. Then MacAffee states (usually three times) that there is a PUP on my computer. I select continue because I usually am checking for viruses and I can't delete them anyway. Here is my HijackThis log...

My computer is scaring me to death because I am afraid someone is watching me or recording my passwords and such (I know nothing about computers, to keep that in mind. I know how to turn on safe mode on next start up and how to show all files and stuff like that, but none of the really confusing stuff.)

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Crustyoldbloke

Posted 09 September 2005 - 02:10 PM

Crustyoldbloke

Old Malware Surgeon with a shaky scalpel

Retired Staff

15,130 posts

Hello Jeff and welcome to Geeks to Go

As an introduction, please note that I am not Superhuman, I do not know everything, but what I do know has taken me years to learn. I am happy to pass on this information to you, but please bear in mind that I am also fallible.

Please note that you should have Administrator rights to perform the fixes. Also note that multiple identity PC’s (family PC’s) present a different problem; please tell me if your PC has more than one individual’s setting.

Before we get underway, you may wish to print these instructions for easy reference during the fix, although please be aware that many of the required URLs are hyperlinks in the red names shown on your screen. Part of the fix may require you to be in Safe Mode, which will not allow you to access the internet, or my instructions!

You have quite a mixture of malware and Trojans that need to be eradicated. Let’s see what we can do with the first sweep.

I note that you are running HijackThis from Desktop; please create a new folder for it (for example C:\Program Files\Hijackthis\Hijackthis.exe) and move the programme into it. It is very important you do this before anything else since backup files can be deleted if they are not within their own folder!

To start please download the following programmes, we will run them later. Please save them to a place that you will remember, I suggest the Desktop:

The update will start and a progress bar will show the updates being installed.
(the status bar at the bottom will display "Update successful")

If you are having problems with the updater, you can use this link to manually update Ewido.Ewido manual updatesDo NOT run a scan yet.

Next, please reboot your computer in Safe Mode by doing the following:1) Restart your computer2) After hearing your computer beep once during startup, but before the Windows icon appears, press F8.3) Instead of Windows loading as normal, a menu should appear4) Select the first option, to run Windows in Safe Mode.

For additional help in booting into Safe Mode, see the following site:

*Extract the programme to your desktop and double-click on its folder, then double-click on Killbox.exe to start the programme.*In the Killbox programme, select the Delete on Reboot option.*Copy the file names below to the clipboard by highlighting them and pressing Control-C:

*Return to Killbox, go to the File menu, and choose "Paste from Clipboard".

*Click the red-and-white "Delete File" button. Click "Yes" at the Delete on Reboot prompt. Click "Yes" at the reboot now prompt..

If you receive a message such as: "Component 'MsComCtl.ocx' or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid." when trying to run TheKillbox, click download and run missingfilesetup.exe. Then try TheKillbox again.

There is almost certainly bound to be some junk (leftover bits and pieces) on your system that is doing nothing but taking up space. I would recommend that you run CCleaner. Install it, update it, check the default setting in the left-hand pane, Analyze, Run Cleaner. You may be fairly surprised by how much it finds. Also click Issues then Scan for issues – fix selected issues

Post back a fresh HijackThis log and I will take another look.(2 logs required)

Crustyoldbloke

Posted 10 September 2005 - 06:12 AM

Crustyoldbloke

Old Malware Surgeon with a shaky scalpel

Retired Staff

15,130 posts

Congratulations! your new logs are clean. Just a little bit more to do to prevent further infection.

Reset and Re-enable your System Restore to remove bad files that have been backed up by Windows. The files in System Restore are protected to prevent any programmes changing them. This is the only way to clean these files: (You will lose all previous restore points which are likely to be infected.)

To reset your restore points, please note that you will need to log into your computer with an account which has full administrator access. You will know if the account has administrator access because you will be able to see the System Restore tab. If the tab is missing, you are logged in under a limited account.

(Windows XP)1. Turn off System Restore.On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.Click Properties.Click the System Restore tab.Check Turn off System Restore.Click Apply, and then click OK.2. Reboot.

3. Turn ON System Restore.On the Desktop, right-click My Computer.Click Properties.Click the System Restore tab.UN-Check *Turn off System Restore*.Click Apply, and then click OK.I recommend going to the following link and update as recommended by Microsoft. This adds more security and extra features including a pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer. Microsoft Update

Now that everything is fixed, I suggest that you consider getting these programmes to help keep the computer clean:

Please note that whilst there is nothing wrong in having more than one antispyware programmes for “on demand” scanning, having two or more antivirus systems is not recommended as they may well interfere with each other.

gumbaby9

Posted 12 September 2005 - 02:02 PM

gumbaby9

Member

Topic Starter

Member

50 posts

Oh no!! Crustyoldbloke, when I went back on my computer today, the same thing happened as it was like before!!! I logged onto my account and guess what happened; it locked up a little, set the internet explorer homepage to C:WINDOWS\system32\msblank.[something or other, i forget wut it was], a few PUP pop up warnings come up as well. It seems like everything we did above did NOTHING now. I got the same virus alert popups as before, and I am now on a different computer in my house.
What happened? How did it come back again? This is frustrating because everything was fine for the time in between your last post and about yesterday, when I was last on (maybe two days ago.)
I'd appreciate if you could tell me what may have happened....thanks.

P.S. the reason i didnt post a HJT log is because I got scared of my computer, like I did before. If I have to post a log, tell me. thanks.

gumbaby9

Posted 12 September 2005 - 02:27 PM

gumbaby9

Member

Topic Starter

Member

50 posts

First off, we have had Spybot, AdAware and MacAfee for awhile. Now I remember seeing in a Spybot check 3 entries, something like anti.spyware.security or something like that. I guess that would be the case? And I forgot to tell you before but I actually have 4 accounts on Windows XP. The one you didn't know about is 'Dad.' I didn't say anything because if it didn't show up on the HJT log then I figured it was clean, and okay. Now I went on the Dad account to see how it was and it was pretty bad as well (same as others).

And I have a question... Is your idea to delete all but 1 account, fix everything on it like before, and then make add all the other accounts back? I just dont see how that will help, because what if the anti spyware stuff brings it all back again?

Or is what your saying to maybe delete all but one account, fix it up like before, create the other 3 profiles back, and maybe then delete the one we didnt delete before, and then create it again???

I just dont see how deleting all but one profile will cure the system of spyware, without it coming back, because if it happened with all 4 accounts like it is now, with them ALL clean like they were previously, what would 3 clean accounts plus one fixed account do to prevent another infestation?

Crustyoldbloke

Posted 12 September 2005 - 05:24 PM

Crustyoldbloke

Old Malware Surgeon with a shaky scalpel

Retired Staff

15,130 posts

Please allow me to explain the difficulties in multiple ID PC's.

Each ID has a different registry setting. Ergo it is quite often the case that one ID (usually male and teenage) gets the malware installed. It then affects all users but can only be stopped at the originating ID profile.

You are quite right in your assumption that by reducing the number of ID's or profiles, you also lessen the chances of hiding places for malware to rest in.

Let me give a great example. let's say you have 10 different ID's and the same common problem throughout. You would have to track down which ID was causing it before repairing it, and if it was the last one you checked, then you have done a lot of work.

If you deleted 9 of the 10 ID's, the chances are you rid yourself of the problem anyway, but you can be confident that if you do have to correct the tenth, then reinstating the other nine later will result in them being clean anyway.

I should further expalin that the 3 AV and antispyware (AS) programmes you mention will not be the cause, only Spybot with Teatimer is a possibility. It has to be a real-time scanner.

Whatever you choose, I will be here to help. If you wish to keep the profiles (ID's), you will have to send me four HT logs.

gumbaby9

Posted 12 September 2005 - 07:23 PM

So even if Jeff is the original account that got all the spyware, if we DELETE it, the source of the spyware will go away, leaving only traces of it, or something like that??

You can help me out here...

So if we want to have only one account (my choosing 'Dad' the main account) we can delete the others, clean the Dad account with all the fixings and such, and then put the other accounts back on the computer, and the whole system will be clean??

If I am right please tell me.

What I'm saying is (and please bare with me) I believe we should delete all the accounts BUT Dad. Am I right about that?

And then we should completely clean the Dad account of all spyware and adware (like we did originally). Am I right?

And then we should put all the other three accounts (Mom, Jeff and Dan) BACK on the computer. Am I right?

And this will, in turn, make my entire computer spyware/adware free without it coming back. Am I right

Crustyoldbloke

Posted 13 September 2005 - 01:44 AM

Crustyoldbloke

Old Malware Surgeon with a shaky scalpel

Retired Staff

15,130 posts

That is the theory and normally the safest way of dealing with it, yes.

Windows will create a folder for all named users being deleted, and save it to the desktop by default. In that folder will be all that user's personal files, so nothing is lost other than the user's preference of the desktop setting.

To achieve this, simply go to the Control Panel>User Accounts>Change an Account> user's name you wish to change > Delete the account. Repeat for all users except Dad.

Please submit a HJT log for Dad.

"Edit,As there has been no reply from the original poster this topic is now closed,Should you have any further problems please create a new Topic,